THE Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner, Paul Makonda, has given the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) two weeks to probe local government officials and the office of Chief Government Valuer, over 7bn/- irregularities in the compensation claims for people affected by the Dar es Salaam Metropolitan Development Project (DMDP).

Speaking to reporters in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the RC ordered appropriate measures against those to be found guilty, as some are said to have approved payments to ghost beneficiaries and those who do not qualify.

Mr Makonda said that the alleged fraud was revealed after reviewing valuation reports presented to him for approval from the three municipalities of Kinondoni, Ilala and Temeke in which a lot of irregularities were observed.

A total of 31 books were required to be signed by me in favour of approval of more than 10bn/- to compensate people, but after going through them with my team, we observed that among them eight books violated the compensation provisions so these people did not deserve to be paid, he noted.

He added, Of the 10bn/- that was to be paid, we unearthed that more than 5bn/- would have been paid to ghost beneficiaries and some who do not deserve to get the payment.

For Kinondoni Municipality, he said, more than 6bn/- was supposed to be paid as compensation but through their investigation it was established that more than 1bn/- was to be paid to ghost people.

Makonda said their investigations also revealed that for Ilala and Temeke municipalities, more than 5bn/- was to be paid to inappropriate beneficiaries.

He further said that a lot of irregularities in the valuation process were also established such as use of unlicensed companies, for example an oil transporting company was contracted to do valuations contrary to their original line of work.